The sales industry holds a wide scope when it comes to making good money. It keeps growing and as the industry keeps evolving, the companies keep hiring new candidates to fill the new and existing sales positions. Recruiters, therefore, look for candidates who are well prepared and confident enough to be able to sell a service or a product to potential customers. So, if you are looking for a job that provides you a stable income, that is is dynamic in nature, and has a wide career scope then owning any job title in the field of sales is not a bad idea. In this article, we will take you through the top 21 questions that are commonly asked in a sales interview with some sample answers.
Best Sales Interview Questions
1. What role do social networking sites play in the field of sales?
The employers ask this question to see if you keep up with the social media and the trends going on in the market.
Sample Answer: “In my opinion, networking sites make it easier for customers to find out about different products, and services that are launched in the market as people are really active on different platforms these days. Customers, most of the time rely on the internet to search for products, this is why social media has an important role in the sales industry.”
2. What makes you a good sales manager?
The employer asks this question to see how you see yourself and what attributes do you have that make you a suitable candidate for this position.
Sample Answer: “I possess a good combination of hard and soft skills. I know my customers well and above all, I have excellent communication skills which I know is the most important aspect of doing any job in this field and that is what makes me a good sales manager.”
3. Is there anything you dislike about sales?
This is a general question that an employer asks to know more about you and your perspective of sales.
Sample Answer: “One thing that I dislike about sales is that this is a very respected profession, and sometimes people lack respect for the salespersons as they work at a slightly lower level of the industry. Customers should be more willing to listen to what a person has to pitch and then make a decision, then directly saying that he doesn’t want anything.”
4. What is the best way to establish a relationship with the prospects?
The employers ask this question to see your way to build relationships with business prospects.
Sample Answer: “The best way is to provide value to your clients as if they see we have a value to offer to them, they themselves will take interest. Secondly, a good strategy is needed to turn in the customers.”
5. Do you have any recommendations on how our company can improve?
This question is asked by the employer to see if you have researched about the company well enough.
Sample Answer: “Well, I know that your company has a social media presence, but I feel to engage a larger base of audience, we can be more active on these sites so that we could reach more and more customers.”
6. Are you comfortable working in data analysis?
This question is to test your technical knowledge of the field and how flexible you are to work in such fields.
Sample Answer: “I don’t have a professional knowledge of data analysis, but I am aware of the field and what responsibilities it includes and I will be more than happy to learn more about this growing field and play with some data and some numbers and create great metrics reports.”
7. Name some skills that are essential for one to possess being a sales representative.
A large part of the jobs in sales depend upon the hard and soft skills, and how qualified an individual is to learn those skills. That is why the employers ask this question to see what valuable attributes do you state.
Sample Answer: “Some important skills that a sales representative should possess are:
- Communication skills
- Prospecting skills
- Social Selling skills
- Listening skills
- Product Knowledge
- Rapport-building Skills”
8. How do you stay current on your target market?
This is a common prospecting and nurturing sales interview question asked by an employer.
Sample Answer: “To stay current on your target market, a sales representative can run online campaigns and surveys to know about the current trends in the market. This will help the company to be updated about customers’ taste and preferences.”
9. Do you have any questions for us?
Every employer asks this question to see if you have doubts regarding the job or the company. Remember to always have few questions prepared in your mind to ask the employer.
Sample Answer: “Yes, May I know more about the working environment and culture of the company?”
10. What is the first thing that you would do when the sales are bearish?
As businesses have to deal with different failures, employers want to see your approach to deal with the failures.
Sample Answer: “When sales are bearish, first, try to evaluate where the existing plan went wrong, and fix those wrongs or create a new strategy to approach the audience in a new way. Anticipation is equally important in such cases.”
11. Are you aware about your responsibilities for this position?
It is a basic job description question to see your awareness about the duties of a sales representative.
Sample Answer: “Yes, I am aware that my responsibilities include communicating my daily progress to my supervisor, checking supplies and the sufficiency, and making necessary work reports.”
12. Is there any blog or book that you are currently reading related to this field?
The employer just wants to know your interests through this question. This question can give you an opportunity to stand out from other candidates.
Sample Answer: “Yes, I am currently reading a book for marketers by Robert B. Cialdini. The name of the book is ‘The Psychology of Persuasion. It is one the best sales book of all time and it is helping me a lot to be better at my work.”
13. Did you learn any technical sales tool so far?
The employers ask this question to test your technical knowledge.
Sample Answer: “Yes, I did a course on Google Analytics, a tool to measure online success and track audience. I am planning to learn its advanced level too.”
14. Tell me about a time you had to deal with criticism.
This is a behavioral based sales interview question.
Sample Answer: “I was told that I should improve the way I present myself in the meeting and I took it as constructive criticism as that was the first time, I was ever giving a presentation in front of 20 colleagues.”
15. How would you sell a book to me?
This is a practical application-based question where the interviewer tests your marketing skills.
Sample Answer: “I cannot directly sell this book to you. Before it I have to analyze the need of the market, for example, I need to know that do you even read books, if yes, then what kind of books do you read, only then will I be able to sell you this.”
16. What are the three attributes to your success?
The employers want to know how you define success.
Sample Answer: “I define my success as an addition of three attributes, namely,
- Self-Growth and Development
- Learning something that I never knew about
- And my contributions to the success of the place where I work in”
17. How would you rate your communication skills?
The employer asks this question to see your outlook on your communication skills and how confidently you answer this question determines it.
Sample Answer: “I would rate my communication skills as a 9 on 10 as there always is room for improvement. I can make cold calls, convince a client, deal with a customer, and do all the jobs that require communication. I am more of an outgoing person.”
18. How many projects have you led in your previous job?
This question gives an idea about your previous work experience.
Sample Answer: “I have led 2 marketing campaigns, and have been part of 5 sales projects in a period of 2 years.”
19. What interests you most about this position?
By asking this question, the employer tests how well did you researched about the role and the company.
Sample Answer: “The one thing that I am looking forward to is the training that you give to your employees, I have researched how efficient it is for one’s growth as an individual.”
20. How would you motivate your sales team?
Answer to this question will test your ability to handle personnel and how you keep up their morale.
Sample Answer: “I would focus on their activities instead of results, and reward them for their effort. I will encourage them and keep sharing my experiences to motivate them.
21. Are you willing to take the challenges ahead?
The employer asks this question to check your perseverance and how motivated you are to face obstacles.
Sample Answer: “Yes, absolutely. I am looking forward to taking any challenge that comes along the way to my success.”
Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (if you want to crack Interview):
Conclusion
So, these were the top 21 sales interview questions. To make a good impression in front of the employer, remember you read the article thoroughly. With the increase in the number of businesses this year, the demand for sales executives has increased a lot, so the competition has increased. We hope this article helps you to ace your interview. Comment below what you liked about this article and share it with your friends.
Thank you for reading!
References
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1987-36183-001
- https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/096317902320369712
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